


"That boy is gone on you"

by waitingfortheoncomingstorm



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Coming Out, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Surprise support, i'd say happy ending but it's actually just happy all around
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 14:06:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6988039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitingfortheoncomingstorm/pseuds/waitingfortheoncomingstorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So I know that it’s heavily implied that Coach isn’t the most supportive father to his son and I don’t think we should ignore that in canon. And I know that common headcanon is that Suzanne secretly knows about Bitty’s sexuality. However, I just want to throw this AU version of Surprise Supportive!Coach Bittle out there:</p><p>Jack decides to come out after Bitty graduates even though he won’t be officially releasing Bitty’s name as his boyfriend. He knows that the media is going to go crazy over it and will work to figure out any connections he has. It’s only a matter of time and Jack doesn’t want the media attention to affect Bitty’s studies. So he waits.</p><p>The day of the interview, Bitty is ensconced in his and Jack’s condo in Providence and stress baking up a storm. </p><p>Down in Georgia, Coach and Suzanne are sitting at the dinner table with Sports Center on in the background.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"That boy is gone on you"

Jack decides to come out after Bitty graduates even though he won’t be officially releasing Bitty’s name as his boyfriend. He knows that the media is going to go crazy over it and will work to figure out any connections he has. It’s only a matter of time and Jack doesn’t want the media attention to affect Bitty’s studies. So he waits.

The day of the interview, Bitty is ensconced in his and Jack’s condo in Providence and stress baking up a storm. The TV is on in the background so that he can hear when Jack’s interview on Sports Center will begin airing. He’s going to make sure his boyfriend has a safe and warm home to come back to after this.

Down in Georgia, Coach and Suzanne are sitting at the dinner table with Sports Center on in the background. Sure, many families usually have the evening news on at this time, but for Coach, this IS his nightly news. When they announce that they’re going to have Jack Zimmermann on the show for “an interview you DON’T want to miss,” Suzanne perks up instantly.

“Honey! Jack’s going to be on the show! I wonder if we should tell Dicky to turn it on!”

“Suzanne, I’m sure that he’s already known and has it blaring at his place. Figuring they’re roommates, I’m guessing that he vaguely knows Jack’s schedule.”

It comes time for Jack’s interview and gone is the hockey robot and in its place is a calm and secure Jack Zimmermann talking about the importance of You Can Play and how hockey is such an international sport that it’s time for the US to get up to all of its Canadian and European standards of equality and how it’s 2018 now and marriage equality has been around for a while now and how it’s important that the world knows that he, Jack Laurent Zimmermann, is proud to be the first out player in the NHL.

And... everything just slots into place in Coach’s brain. The visits, their friendship, the apartment, the damn look on Zimmermann’s face when he looked at his son.

“Suzanne, our boy is dating Jack Zimmermann.”

“Richard, just because Dicky’s best friend is gay doesn’t mean they’re together.”

Coach stares at his wife a moment in disbelief before fishing his phone out of his pocket.

Up in Providence, Bitty is spectacularly failing at not crying over his beautiful hockey boyfriend. Tears of joy are streaming down his face and his spatula is splattering drops of filling on the kitchen floor. And then his phone rings and the screen lights up with his father’s name.

Bitty and Jack specifically did not come out to his parents before Jack’s announcement for a reason. They weren’t sure of Coach’s response and didn’t want to risk anything from ruining Jack’s carefully constructed plan. He decides that he isn’t going to assume the worst, but he also steels himself to defend his love if he needs to and he slides to accept the call.

“How long have you been dating the Zimmermann boy?” isn’t the phrase he was expecting to first hear. Nor is what follows after his surprised “Um, Coach?” and his mother’s squawk in the background of the phone call.

“Because if you’re not already dating him, you should know that that boy is gone on you. I’m not letting my son let an NHL star slip through his grasp, so you best make a move soon, Dicky.”

And Bitty just pauses life for a moment. He never expected this - the utter acceptance from his father. New tears are welling up in his eyes and he wishes he could hug his father right now.

“Three and a half years, dad. I - we - weren’t sure if you’d approve.”

“Well, I can’t say I would have then, but I do now. Times have changed and it was time I changed with them. But most of all, what matters to me is that my son has someone who loves him and is going to stick by him no matter what. And Jack? I think it’s plain as day how much he loves you.”

Bitty’s tears simply stream at this point. “I love him too, Coach. Have for a long time.”

“Good. Now I guess that you should book some tickets down here because I think that boy has a question to ask me,” is all Coach finishes with before handing the phone over to his wife.

When Jack gets home, his arms are immediately filled with his sobbing boyfriend.

“Bits, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing honey,” Bitty replies into his shoulder. He then pulls back and frames Jack’s face with his hands. The creases in Jack’s face immediately ease as he sees the pure joy on Bitty’s face. “I am SO proud of you,” Bitty punctuates with a kiss. “Also, I booked us tickets down to Madison. My parents want to ‘officially meet you as my boyfriend.’”

And Jack smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> I think all fics should end with “and Jack smilies” because that is all I want for my son and it’s the perfect “happily ever after” phrase for zimbits.
> 
> Edit 9/1: (because sometimes I re-read my own fics, sue me) - I really imagine that when Jack is talking with Bitty more about his convo later that night and Bitty mentions exactly what Coach said, that Jack is like ALERT ALERT! MUST DIVERT COURSE! and stumbles over his words a bit but recovers and quickly excuses himself to their bedroom because HE NEEDS TO TAKE THAT RING OUT OF HIS POCKET ASAP BC APPARENTLY HE NEEDS TO ASK FOR PERMISSION FIRST!


End file.
